Allergy or Anaphylaxis: What’s the Difference?

Video Transcript

THOMAS CHACKO: The differencebetween allergiesand anaphylaxis--anaphylaxis can bethe life-threatening type,meaning-- allergies, when peoplethink about it,could be sneezing, hayfever,or even asthma.But anaphylaxis could bethose symptoms as well as more,including hypotension--or low blood pressure;wheezing to the point where youcan't breathe;loss of consciousnessor passing out.So anaphylaxisis life-threatening or verysevere allergies.

If it's a food allergy,most people discover that whenthey're younger once they hadthe first or second timeof introduction to,let's say, peanuts or some typeof tree nut.Possibly other sourcesof anaphylaxis,like insect sting,like, you know, people could belife-threatening allergic to beestings.That could be later because youmight not have been stungby a bee earlier or it could beyour second time that you gotstung that you hadthis significantlife-threatening anaphylaxis.

So it depends on what you'reallergic to.Most of the time you don't growout of anaphylaxis.With food allergies,about 20% to 25% of patientsmay grow out of it.That means the vast majority--80-- 80% or so-- will keep it.So most people do not outgrowanaphylaxic reactions.I would say the mortality ratesare not going up, meaning we arebetter now at identifyinganaphylaxis and people are muchmore aware.So people aren't dying as muchfrom anaphylaxis.

Unfortunately, there still aredeaths but not as muchin the past because we're betterat being aware of itas well as treating it.